Page 2 - Michael Fishbach News Today

>> the camera is rolling as he approaches the 40,000 to 50,000-pound humpback. >> i got within roughly one foot of the eyeball of this humpback just trying to reassure the whale that i was there to help. very extraordinary to have that moment. >> fishbach is able to cut some of the net free from the animals back. >> hows it working, michael? >> when he tries to continue cutting along the side of the whale, it becomes clear thats not the right choice. >> hes freaking out. i got his -- i got his d...

Like turning algae into biofuel... ...new technology for capturing co2 emissions... ...and cars twice as efficient as the average car today. ideas exxonmobil scientists are working on to make energy go further... ...no matter how many tries it takes. energy lives here. a man risks his own life when he dives into the water to free a whale trapped in a fishing net. >> that was an extremely intimidating and potentially dangerous place to be working. >> conservationist michael fishbach is the codi...

Exuberant display by this humpback whale over the course of the next 45 minutes to an hour. it was awesome. >> fishbachs son galen thinks he knows why the whale was putting on this amazing display. >> mom, i know what shes doing. >> what is she doing? >> shes showing us shes all free. >> yeah. i think shes showing us a thank-you dance. >> i think so, galen. another daring rescue. this time from a sinking boat. croatia, september 19, 2010. strong currents have stranded 56-year-old ivan plevnik ...

Hours. >> a minute or so after it swims off, the whale breaches and the show doesnt stop there. >> we saw this incredibly exuberant display by this humpback whale over the course of the next 45 minutes to an hour. it was awesome. >> fishbachs son galen thinks he knows why the whale was putting on this amazing display. >> mom, i know what shes doing. >> what is she doing? >> shes showing us shes all free. >> yeah. i think shes showing us a thank-you dance. >> i think so, galen. another daring r...

>> i was pretty convinced that it was dead because we did not see an ounce of movement. nothing. >> but then a breath. the humpback is alive, but unable to move. >> i could see that this whale was horribly, horribly entangled. just like in a straight jacket. 19 years on the water ive never seen anything like this. you have to make a decision. are you going to try to intervene yourself? physically intervening, certainly, carries a risk. >> fishbach and the group cant turn their backs on the anima...

Finger or toe, in that net when the whale decides to go down and breathe. >> watch out, watch out, watch out. >> hold it. grab that. grab that tight. grab that tight. >> the three men remain clear of the net and after about an hour of work, the group has managed to free most of the whale. with the whale becoming more active, it looks like its time to make the final cut. >> so close. >> did you get it? >> see? >> yeah! >> yeah! >> as the whale slowly swims away, its a moment to celebrate. [ laugh...

George who continues to cut where he can. >> youve got to cut everything you can. >> fishbach and the boats captain, alberto, haul the excess net aboard, holding tight, and repositioning the boat with a paddle whenever the whale shifts in the water. >> we were just grabbing and pulling and cutting and in the context of our cutting, things were getting freed and loose. >> they managed to free one of the whales pectoral fins, which can be seen momentarily jutting out of the water. no longer comple...

Dangerous place to be working. >> conservationist michael fishbach is the codirector of the great whale conservancy. he travels to mexico sea of cortez for two months every winter to photograph and observe some of the largest animals in the world, blue, fin, and humpback whales. on february 14th, 2011, hes out on the water with his wife heather watrous, 5-year-old son galen, and friends, george and whitney brazington. theyre headed for a beach when he sees something in the distance. >> it looked...

Start to see floats on the water that were part of a net. >> the group discovered that tangled in that net is a young humpback whale. >> i was pretty convinced that it was dead because we did not see an ounce of movement. nothing. >> but then a breath. the humpback is alive, but unable to move. >> i could see that this whale was horribly, horribly entangled. just like in a straight jacket. 19 years on the water ive never seen anything like this. you have to make a decision. are you going to try ...

Hold it. hold it. grab that tight. grab that tight. >> the three men remain clear of the net, and after about an hour of work, the group has managed to free most of the whale. with the whale becoming more active, it looks like its time to make the final cut. >> so close. >> did you get it? >> see? >> yeah! >> yeah! >> as the whale slowly swims away, its a moment to celebrate. [ laughter ] >> we saved a humpback whale. >> hell, yeah. >> fishbach says this wouldnt have been possible if they hadnt ...